Health Care Reform Bill to Slash at Least $44 Billion in SNF Medicare Payments

This week, FHCA Executive Director Emmett Reed traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with American Health Care Association lobbyists and several of Florida Congressmen and their staff. Health care reform is moving swiftly in Washington and unfortunately, the legislation as it is currently drafted, is extremely harmful to long term care providers and the residents you serve. Yesterday, HR 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, was introduced in the US House of Representatives. The bill contains detrimental cuts to Medicare payments for Skilled Nursing Facilities which amount to at least $44.9 billion in cuts for Medicare Payments to SNFs alone. This staggering number doesn't account for the $16 billion in regulatory cuts being proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by August 1st. This bill is on a fast track for passage in the House of Representatives.

The moment to take action is NOW. FHCA is joining the American Health Care Association in asking you to you weigh in with your U.S. Representative and let him/her know that cuts of this magnitude are simply unsustainable. Tell your Representative that cuts to Medicare will have a negative impact on nursing homes and will create a ripple effect - putting at risk the quality of care to our state's frail elders and people with disabilities and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs for long term care providers across the country.

We must put a stop to these egregious cuts before it's too late. Congress has made health care reform a priority this year and intends to pass a bill as early as August. Your voice needs to be heard on this vital issue. Click here to take action today by sending a letter to your U.S. House Representative and telling them to OPPOSE Medicare payment cuts to SNFs contained within HR 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.